


Because We Don't

by rach320



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Smallville, Superman (Comics), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Children, Choice, F/M, Kids, Motherhood, Parenthood, child-free
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 12:59:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10163552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rach320/pseuds/rach320
Summary: Lois and Clark both decided long ago separately and together that they didn't want children.But that doesn't mean that everyone from family to random strangers don't put their two cents in on their decision to remain child-free.And sometimes, Lois just can't take one more pseudo-well meaning, belittling conversation about their personal decision to not have children.





	

“So when are you two going to have children?”

 

Lois gritted her teeth as the new reporter on the masthead asked her about her and Clark’s plans to start a family. Never mind the fact that Lois considered her and Clark enough to count as a family already. It honestly astounded Lois how in this day and age, people still assumed that every married couple, and in particular every woman, wanted to ‘start a family.’ It especially astounded her that people asked relative strangers this question, considering the various reasons why people didn’t have children, such as painful infertility issues.

 

And it was especially infuriating seeing that it was almost always Lois who got asked these questions, not Clark. But when he did, his answer of they didn’t want children was easily accepted as a man’s decision. But hers? Oh no, her answers required lengthy discussions that normally made Lois want to grab the questioner—sometimes a man, sometimes a woman—by the neck and hang them off the side of a building.

 

However, that behaviour wasn’t exactly fitting of someone who was married to Superman.

 

Fists clenching, Lois felt her engagement ring and wedding band dig into her skin. “Clark and I don’t plan on having children, Scott.”

 

Scott was a veteran reporter, one who had spent the last few years at a foreign desk for a rival newspaper when the Planet had poached him. He was a good reporter, but a grade-A jerk, who’s innate misogyny rivalled that of the Planet’s local muscle-bound frat boy, Steve Lombard from sports.

 

But even Steve had learned long ago not to ask Lois this question.

 

“Oh, come on, Lois. Sure you do. Once that biological clock starts ticking, they’ll be little Clark’s and Lois’ running all over the place and we’ll be getting someone to take your place on the city beat.”

 

Lois’s jaw clenched. Oh, how she wanted to punch him. “No, I don’t. I never have. And Clark doesn’t want children either. Biological clock ticking or not, I don’t want children. And even if I did,” the words were spat out, venom dripping, “I would never give up my career and be a stay-at-home mom. That’s just not me. That’s fine for some women, but not for me. I’m career-driven and ambitious and that’s who Clark fell in love with.”

 

In truth, when Lois and Clark had started dating, Lois had been waiting for it to end catastrophically when she revealed that she didn’t want children. She had met Clark’s parents and she knew just how much of a wholesome, Rockwellian upbringing he had had. Plus, he was great with kids, unlike her. So she had assumed, wrongfully, that he would want children.

 

But he hadn’t. He had explained to her in great detail about how while he was willing to risk himself and, begrudgingly, the safety of consenting adults who were close to him because of his second job, he wasn’t willing to put children in the line of fire. When he had become Superman, he did it knowing that he would never want to bring children into that life.

 

Lois had almost cried with joy. Finally, there was a man who was on her wavelength and didn’t want kids either. Lois never liked children. When she played with baby dolls growing up, it was because they had been given to her. And whenever she played with her barbie dolls, they always had complicated backstories and careers and children rarely, if ever, entered the equation.

 

She knew having children could be an incredibly fulfilling part of life for many people. She had seen how much having kids had made her sister’s life that much fuller. But that was Lucy, not her. Lucy didn’t almost get shot at on a regular basis. She didn’t occasionally get embedded in a war zone. She didn’t forget to feed herself if it wasn’t for her husband.

 

And Lois was honestly, one hundred percent fine with her decision not to have kids. And so was Clark, who had been equally relieved that she didn’t want children either. Sure, it had been hard to explain to their parents, who had been the first people to ask about their plans for children once they had gotten engaged, but their families, Clark’s in particular, had been incredibly understanding. They were two busy, ambitious people. Raising children didn’t fit with their lifestyles and goals. Even if they were biologically compatible, it wouldn’t make a difference because if they really wanted kids, they’d adopt, just like Clark’s parents did.

 

Lois never regretted her decision. But sometimes, she really wished she fit the patriarchal idea of what a woman should do with her life just because of assholes like Scott or her sweet next door neighbour Betty, who just assumed that children were in her life plans.

 

Of course, that wish was quickly overtaken by rage and forgotten as fast as it had appeared.

 

“Seriously?” Scott asked, eyebrows raised. “You know, you say that now, but what about ten years from now when you’ve given up the opportunity to have children of your own?”

 

“Then we’d adopt. But neither of us want children and we had discussed this well before we even got engaged.”

 

For God’s sake they’d been married for almost five years now. When would the questions stop?

 

Scott tutted, shaking his head. “You’ll change your mind.”

 

Lois saw red. She had been told those words over and over again. By a professor in college when she was asking about what life was like for an embed. By her father until she and Clark presented a united front. By random strangers on the street who asked her to hold their children—which she awkwardly did—and then asked her about her own nonexistent children and plans for them.

 

She hated those words.

 

Those words belittled not only her life choice, but her ability to make good decisions for herself. Those words said that she, Lois Lane, was not smart enough to know her own wants and needs and that she was just being silly. Of course, she’d change her minds and settle down with 2.5 kids and a dog and a picket fence. That was a biological imperative, wasn’t it? All women want children. She was just trying to be special. Good thing she had random strangers telling her about her true desires, because lord knows that she wasn’t able to make her own decisions.

 

“No,” she responded firmly, staring him down. “I won’t. That’s my decision. It’s a decision my husband and I both agreed upon before we got married. And that’s final. Motherhood is a choice, not a biological imperative.”

 

“Yeah, but—“

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Scott.” Lois roared, gaining the attention of the bullpen. “Don’t you have better things to do than butt into my reproductive plans!”

 

“But—“

 

“There is no but. Some woman love being mothers. Look at Cat! She’s a great mom to a great little boy, but that isn’t for me.” She yelled, fling her arm out to point at where Cat was standing. “I don’t even like babysitting, let alone being responsible for a child full-time! Motherhood is great choice for others, but it’s not a great choice for me, and I shouldn’t have to walk you through my reasons for not wanting children!

 

“I mean, God, what if Clark or I were infertile and that’s why we weren’t having kids? Did you even think before you asked me that question about just how personal it is and how inappropriate it is to ask someone and what painful memories you could have brought up!”

 

It didn’t matter that at her last OBGYN visit, Lois was declared incredibly fertile. Scott needed to learn his lesson. Lois didn’t want kids. Neither did Clark. That was the end of the story and no one else should question their, rather personal, decision not to have kids. “We are a family already. We live an incredibly fulfilled and happy life together, in our nice penthouse apartment, and go on incredible trips camping or go wine tasting on the weekends. We are happy with our lives. We are happy with our decision not to have children. And that is the end of the story. You, and nosy people like you, need to learn to keep your mouth shut and stop assuming that everyone wants to follow the stereotypical, patriarchal path towards happiness.

 

“Happiness isn’t one size fits all. People have different wants and needs. Some people want money, others couldn’t care less as long as their living comfortably. Some people want a life of adventure, others want a stable, predictable life. Some people want children, others don’t. End of fucking story.”

 

“I’m sorry, Lois.” Scott apologised. “But I just thought—“

 

“No.” She shook her head. “You didn’t think. Now, if you excuse me, I’m going to head home to my husband and my wonderful, child-free life.”

 

~~~

 

Her bag dropped to the floor with a bang and her heels flew across the room as Lois plopped face-down on the couch. Clark poked his head out from the kitchen, chuckling at his wife’s dishevelled state. He had just gotten back from a trip to D.C. that afternoon, reporting on a bill that was being pushed through the house at the moment.

 

“Long day?” He asked, sitting next to her on the arm of the couch.

 

Lois peeled her head off the couch pillow, greedily sitting up and stealing the glass of wine from his hand. “You could say that.” She cracked her neck, tilting her head from side to side. “Scott asked me when we’re planning on having children.”

 

Clark winced. He had heard about and had seen many of the times when Lois had been asked that question in person and they never ended well. “You didn’t punch him, did you?”

 

“No, I didn’t!” She beamed. “Aren’t you proud of me?”

 

He chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. “Very proud. So what did happen?”

 

“Oh, I gave him a firm talking to about how neither of us wanted children and how he shouldn’t go prying into private issues because you never know what you’re going to dredge up.”

 

“You don’t regret it, do you? Deciding not to have children?”

 

“Clark,” she soothed, placing a comforting hand on his forearm. She knew this fear, his fear that his abnormal life was holding her back from everything she secretly wanted. “No. I didn’t want children long before I fell in love with you. I just get frustrated at having to explain that to, I swear, every one in this city. My goals, my ambitions, they aren’t conducive to children and honestly, I don’t like them. And I know why you don’t want children. And I love you. I’d rather have you by my side than five kids and a picket fence with a guy that I don’t love.”

 

“I love you.” He replied, placing her wine glass down on the coffee table. “You know, the lasagna needs at least another two hours in the oven…”

 

She smirked. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

 

“God, yes.”

 

Clark picked Lois up effortlessly, wrapping her legs around his waist. She squealed as she leaned back in his arms, trusting him completely to carry her. “Come on, Babe. Let’s go have hot, raunchy sex without worry about children interrupting.”

 

He tossed her down onto the bed, taking his glasses off as he climbed over her. “God, I love you, Lois Lane.”

 

She giggled, fingers tracing his jawline. “I love you too, Clark Kent. Now get over here; We only have two hours before you need to get dinner out of the oven.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this was inspired by yet another male family member telling me that I'd change my mind about not wanting to have children and what about my future husband (never mind that the right man wouldn't want children either). I just kinda snapped and this was the result. I've always wanted the white wedding and a soulmate, but children have never been in the cards due to my goals and planned lifestyle and this is my way of expressing my various thoughts regarding that conversation that is likely to multiply as I get to closer and closer to 'appropriate' child-bearing age.


End file.
